Follow Your Heart NarutoHarvest Moon Crossover
by Kunoichi-Neko
Summary: Temari, a girl living in a city full of all kinds of misfortune and pervets who can't stop flirting.One day, her whole world turns when she leaves for a new home. Will she ever find the true love that is said to exist?
1. Chapter 1

Here is a story I wanted to work on for awhile now. Yes, it's a crossover of Naruto and Harvest Moon. Yes, it follows the plotline. Yes, there will be couples. Yes, I do not own Naruto or Harvest Moon. No, I will kill you if you don't review but go and just look.I NEED CRITUES AND CRAP PEOPLE!!!!

Ding DONG!

The sound of the doorbell ringing echoed along the halls of a small apartment, arousing its residents. Moans of aggravation sounded clearly in one of the hallway bedrooms. A blonde girl stepped from her room, rubbing the sleep from her tired eyes. Her feet dragged on the floor along with her pajama bottoms.

DING DONG!

" Just a minute!!! " The girl snapped, crankiness mixed in her voice along with a great amount of irritation. Each step seemed to become longer and longer, finally reaching the door after a good ten minutes. Her hand slapped the locks off ungracefully, then let it fall onto the knob wearily. She turned it, but did not open the door. Annoyed, she pulled it harder, opening it on the second try.

A man in a gray suit and navy blue hat covering his brunette hair stood at the door's place mat with a crossed out " Welcome " sign on it. Smiling, the man reached into his bag slung over his shoulder, withdrawing from it a rolled up newspaper.

" Here you are, Ma'am. " The man said as he gave her the paper. She took it slowly, holding up to stare at it in disinterest. She moved her gaze onto the man, her annoyance showing clearly in her eyes.

" Why did you bring it up here? You usually leave it on the sidewalk. " She asked suspiciously, knowing very good and well this man could be another one of ' those guys ', or as she and her brothers called all the men who had hit on her. She seemed to notice that he was oddly clean, a rarity for the newspaper guys around the area.

" Yeah, but, the big man has been getting phone calls recently about dogs stealing newspapers and other┘. slightly irrelevant things.. So, he said we have to take them to the doors now. " He replied quietly. The girl grunted, having barely listened to what he'd said. The newspaper twirled in her fingers like a baton, occupying her divided attention.

A door shut behind her, followed by the thump of footsteps heading down the hall. A tall guy appeared at the hallway entrance, holding a hand up to his mouth as he yawned loudly. His brownish hair stuck out everywhere, showing that he had just woke up and hadn't bothered to mess with his hair yet.

" Oi, Temari, who's this? " He said, gesturing at the man staring back at him in confusement. Temari chuckled.

" Why, Kanky. This is the newspaper man who so kindly brought up our newspaper. " She replied, smiling evilly at the plan unfolding in her head.

" Kanky? " The newspaper man asked with a raise of his eyebrow at the guy Temari called 'Kanky' . He shrugged with a sly smile.

" Yeah, this is my brother Kankurou. I just loooove calling him 'Kanky' . Probably because we've been together so long. It's hard not calling someone you're so close to a pet name, y'know? Where're just that close. " Kankurou leaned against the wall, resisting the ever so tempting urge to fall out laughing.

The newspaper man just looked at them flabbergasted. He nodded slightly at Temari before starting to back away hesitantly.

" Hey, would you like to come in for some lemonade or tea? " Temari teased, almost making Kankurou choke on his own breath. He bit his lip, looking down as his shoulders rocked violently.

" Uh, no, no, uh, I'm uh┘ uh .. I'm just gonna- " The newspaper man sped off down the stairs quicker than the speed of light, hopping into his car. His tires screeched and he roared off, surprisingly going unnoticed by a passing cop sitting in his car with a boxful of donuts.

Temari slammed the door shut, laughing until her stomach hurt. Kankurou was no better. He was on his back laughing so hard he couldn't hardly breath. The newspaper fell from Temari's hand, thudding against the floor and drawing the siblings attention by after a few more laughs.

Temari grinned, picking up the newspaper to point it at Kankurou. " Seriously. Bring the newspaper in person and then lie just to talk. Dogs stole the newspaper and other slightly irrelevant things. Well if it was irrelevant to begin with, why did you say it? Just say 'The big man' told me to." Kankurou chuckled pocketing his hands in his stripped pajamas.

" That's the oldest trick in the book. " Kankurou shook his head. " Pathetic. "

" I thought the oldest trick in the book was the ' Tap the person's other shoulder'? Heh, that one's really old. "

" True, but the book you're talking about is the practical jokes handbook. I'm talking about the ' Lamest Ways To Get A Girl' book.. " Joked Kankurou pointing to a book belonging to a man Temari had talked with once. He had left the book by accident when Temari and her other brother, Gaara, had scared the mess out of the poor guy. Kankurou often read it for amusement, finding the section about ' What To Do On First Dates ' quite interesting to say the most.

Temari brushed at her golden bangs dangling in front of her eyes, holding it between her fingers curiously. " Hey, Kankurou. Have you seen my rubber bands I use to tie up my hair? I've seem to have lost them┘ " The boy shook his head, walking away before Temari could question him anymore.

She sighed, trudging down the hall towards the bathroom at a much slower place than before. All the early morning laziness had rushed back to her the moment the fun had stopped. Her hand drifted over the doorknob quietly, trying to keep from awakening her youngest brother whom was snoozing deeply in the room adjacent to the bathroom. She creaked the door open, causing the light to automatically flip on.

Temari stepped into the blue and white bathroom, enjoying the new blue rug she had bought for it. The curly strings massaged her feet as soon as they touched it. The shower stayed off to one corner, next to the toilet and then the white counter sink. A mirror hung above the sink, pulling Temari to it like a fly to a light. She stared silently into it, her green eyes staring back at her with little to no interest. She hated the way her hair was. Just lying free like that, it seemed weird to her. She knew she would never go to work like this.

Work. The one word that seemed to have the greatest negative effect on her of them all. Of all the things she hated in the world, nothing compared to the hate she felt for having to work. Maybe it was where she worked. Maybe it was who she worked with. Both seemed to be good reasons, but she knew it was more than that. Maybe something she couldn't put her finger on, although she was more inclined to blame the people she worked with.

They were disrespectful. Every last one of them. They would come everyday and hassle Temari, calling her names and mocking her clothing. Of course, Temari would snap back, but then she'd be the one who got in trouble. It was a nightmare she could not awaken from. Everything was unfair.

She wasn't the only one with problems though, for her brothers had suffered much worse. Kankurou had gotten beat up so bad by a gang mob he had to be hospitalized. He was covered in scars and horrid bruises the whole month, hardly able to move due to torn muscles. On his way to the store, Gaara was attacked by vicious fan girls. His wasn't as bad as Kankurou's, but he was permentally scarred mentally, his hate glare placed on all girls except Temari.

Temari slapped the newspaper down on the counter, realizing only now that she had taken it with her. The band around it snapped, freeing the paper it bound. It unfurled, showing a large ad on the very top. It caught Temari's attention with its brightness and big lettering.

" ' Farm for Sale. Owner recently died. In mint condition. Open for buyers now. ' " Temari read aloud. She scoffed at it, rolling it back up and tossing it in the garbage disposal.

Notes Author: Okay, you read it. Thank you bunches, and here's some cookies to show my appreciation.gives cookies But please and I mean PLEASE review and tell me what I need help on and stuff.

Thank you for reading,

Neko.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two: The Next Day 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't know Harvest Moon. I don't own Axel from Kingdom Hearts, even though he has nothing to do with this.

Temari sat vacant mindedly at her desk, ignoring the stack of paper that screamed her name and the computer that was in dire need of a virus scan. She leaned back in her black leather chair with her green eyes to the dull gray ceiling, letting her mind drift away from the hurry around her. Time seemed to stand still in Temari's plain cubicle; seemingly all the adjacent cubicles for that matter.

A light red-faced girl darted between the cubicles with papers at hand, passing them out among the employees, along with apologies for spilled coffee and/or including them in the fan fiction she made for revenge. Temari returned slowly back to Earth, watching with a bored expression as the girl neared her cubicle. The girl scurried on small feet pushed inside a pair of high pink heels that oddly matched her blue usual blue clothes.

" Here you are, Temari-san. " The girl said sweetly, handing Temari another memo concerning nothing at all besides the fact the boss was still angry someone had stolen his McNuggets from the fridge. Temari yawned, shoving the paper into a desk drawer filled with other old memos and startlingly large spider webs.

" Well, " The girl said, taking a quick glance to the sides to make sure no one was listening. They all seemed too occupied with doing nothing to care so she leaned back in.

" Yes? " Temari asked. She crossed her legs as she always would when in conversations or such, accidentally hitting the wooden desk with her foot. The computer buzzed loudly, earning a slap on the monitor from Temari's hand. The girl flinched, but chose to ignore the matter.

" I heard they got that serial killer and his gang in jail. " The girl whispered, tucking her shoulder high, black hair behind her ears.

" Yeah, so? " Temari fiddled with her fingernails, seeing the news as no more than casual, yet strange, gossip. But at least it was with someone who Temari considered a semi-friend.

" Temari! That's the guy who's gang beat up your little brother! Remember?! " The girl's calm red face turned to a look of true worry.

Temari sat up at her desk , a first in a long time, finally feeling a bit of concern that she expertly hid from the girl. " So they finally found them? Good. They need their asses in jail. "

" But not so much. As it turns out..." The girl hushed, suddenly finding herself in a loss of words of what to say. She silently studied the obviously plastic tile floor like a child convicted of doing something wrong.

" What? " Temari persisted, curious as to what has become of the jerks who almost killed her little brother, Kankurou. She had secretly long awaited the day they were put in jail.

" Well... Turns out...your brother was the only person ever to have survived an attack from them. So..." The girl cut off again, rubbing the sole of her heels nervously on the floor, causing a tiny squeak.

" What? " Temari asked once more, becoming a bit annoyed the girl wouldn't come out and say what it was Temari most likely needed to know.

" Your brother...he's a target now to them. " She eventually said, moving down a notch in her voice to a whisper so only Temari could hear.

" What? Why would he be a target? They already beat him up once before, why again? " Temari felt the anger burn within her, the protective side of her that could never calm as long as she was in charge of her brothers.

" Weeeell, ...he was the one who got them busted. I mean, he managed to take all their punches and kicks long enough for the cops to drop by and see them in action. If he hadn't lived, that killer and his gang would be free birds right now. "

Temari nodded her head thoughtfully. She pondered what she would do if they came after her brother. The simple thought brought up a question in her mind she never figured she would want to know the answer to.

" When will they get out of jail? " Temari asked with disdain, never having been a fan of knowing the business of people in prison. Mainly because she had enough of knowing when her father was in jail when her and her brothers where youngsters.

" They... have been sentenced to one year..." The girl sighed, walking over to the next cubicle and stealing the empty chair within it. She brought it back around to sit by Temari's cluttered desk.

" One year?! " Fury erupted in Temari like an enraged lion. " People steal food for their family's and they get put in for years but killers...Oh, we just let them roam freely without a care!..Not even bothering to make sure they stay away from children. " She cried, slightly frightening the girl with her intense rage.

" Yeah, there's no justice here,..."

" Isn't that the truth. "

" Hey, where did my papers go? " The girl asked, frantically searching around her seat for the memos. Temari shrugged, scanning her desk quickly for the sheets with bold black ink made to look serious. She spotted them immediately near the edge, leaning next to the stack of papers Temari had to re-revise for the fifth time since the boss was " not a fan of Temari's way of writing " .

" Are these it? " Temari pointed to the tilting pile of papers.

" Oh, yes! " The black haired girl grabbed the memos in what appeared to be a bear hug. She sighed in relief, relaxing her grip gently on the papers.

" Wow, if the boss had known I'd almost lost the memos I would have been- "

" OUIJA!!!! WHERE ARE THOSE MEMOS?!?!?! " A man's loud voice rang out, sending an alarm through the hearts of all the workers except Temari and an old woman loitering near the door. The sounds of paper fluttering and phones ringing of their hooks erupted throughout the room in a record time good enough for the world record books.

Ouija squealed in fright. She ran off at the speed of light down the path flanked by cubicles, memos flying freely from her grasp. Ten other workers flew past Temari's cubicle with enough speed to make the papers on her desk spin off onto the floor. Annoyed, Temari snatched them up but not without a hateful grumble to each and every one.

From a platform at the very end of all the cubicles ( five lines total but nobody really cared), the boss straightened a red and black tie around his neck His navy suit seemed to be bulging around the center, something you don't normally see for a man who where's a girdle every where he goes.

He eyed every worker like a hawk scooping out its prey; the prey being somebody he can criticize about every little thing. Sometimes Temari felt bad for the victim, having known the feeling of having pressure forced on your shoulders. Other times, it was a glory day. But then he would do his usual and come trotting over to Temari to rant on and on until the clocks fell asleep.

This time his continuous yapping was placed on a low self-esteem man sitting near the edge of the platform. Temari listened intently, wondering how the guy was going to act since last time a couple of computer monitors and chairs were thrown during it. The boss merely scoffed, still talking just to hear his own voice; The man had already shut the boss's voice out.

Sadly, she could not hear that far and turned her attention to her papers. Groaning, Temari snatched a pen out of a blue cup hidden amongst the all paperwork. The pen glided across the sheets one-by-one, drawing a signature wherever a line was.

" Well, well. If it isn't little Temari! Like the shoes. Where'd you get them? The dump? " A voice said from the side then going into wild laughter. Temari looked up from her everlasting pile of papers to an ever too familiar face that was Clairine Conchido. Her chubby cheeks were once again killed by makeup that didn't come close to matching each other. She wore a yellow sequin dress with the whole of her stomach forced into a very obvious girdle.

Temari glared at the chubby woman. " No, it came from the same place you shop. Turns out they're not as good as the boss's because they made their girdles just a little too big. Oh, wait. I'm sorry. That's just you. " She retorted, tired of the woman's same remarks everyday.

Clairine looked slightly shocked, a put on that never worked with Temari but seemed to melt the hearts of others. Temari felt sick.

" Ah, if it isn't my best worker, Clairine! My, my you look positively stunning! " Said the boss, magically appearing from out of nowhere. He went up and hugged the flattered Clairine, causing Temari's stomach to flip.

" And... Um, Tamarita was it? " The boss broke away from the hug, pointing a chubby little finger at Temari.

" Temari, sir. " Temari corrected the man, unsurprised by his continuous mistake.

" Whatever, get back to work. " The man said and disappeared back down the aisles with the girls following behind.

Temari sighed deeply, dragging another paper across the desk and signing it grudgingly.

" Done! " Temari whispered loudly to herself, slapping the paper on a new pile of papers. It had taken two hours to get through all the papers, mainly because everybody kept bringing papers. Her hand hurt around the fingertips where it had become a cherry red.

Temari sighed, leaning back in her leather chair tiredly. She closed her eyes to give them a rest from the sight of little letters bunched into words on a sheet of bright white paper. Her whole right arm started to throb the moment she let it fall down the side of the chair. She ignored it, to tired to even think of complaining.

She let the world around her disappear. The sound of paper tearing and phones chiming became distant as she drifted into a sleep. Images of the odd newspaper guy flashed by momentarily, followed by the sight of a small tan dog she had saw sleeping by her mailbox. Then came the picture of the newspaper add. A farm flashed before her, trees surrounding a gate enclosing the farm partially in. A cow was even grazing in the field along side it a horse with a distinct white dash on its forehead.

Seeing it now in her mind, everything seemed so...so...

" Temari! " Temari snapped awake at the cry of her name. She looked around frantically, startled by the sudden outburst. She saw Ouija standing next to her, her hand planted firmly on her shoulder. Her eyes shone worry, worry of something important.

" Temari, you have to go home! " Ouija cried, shaking Temari's shoulder roughly. Temari felt her brain bob around in her head and quickly grabbed Ouija's hand to stop her.

" What, why?! " Temari asked, staring in shock at Ouija who looked positively terrified now. The girl shook her head, tugging Temari out of her chair and into the aisle.

" The killer! You have to go! Now! " Ouija shouted, pulling Temari down the hall in the direction of the door. Temari struggled against her, surprisingly finding it difficult to keep from being dragged down the hall.

" OUIJA!! " Temari yelled, finally having Ouija's grip released from her arm. The girl was trembling from some unknown energy within her, whimpering in a way that became a quick annoyance to Temari.

" Why do I have to go home?! What is going on?! " Temari demanded, staring in confusion at the jumpy girl. She shook her head until her black hair was just a mess of fluff on her head.

" No, no, Temari! You have to hurry! No talking! They'll be there any second!! " She whined, still hopping on her heels.

" Who, woman, who?! "

" The killer and his gang!! They're going after Kankurou! " Oujia cried. Temari felt her heart plummet into her stomach, dragging her whole mind with it.

" W-what? Kankurou? How?! " Temari managed to stammer.

" The jail guards. One of them was their friend so they busted him out! The gang left a message on their bed that said how they escaped and that they were going after the man who put them in there! Temari they're going after Kankurou! You have to do something! " Ouija pouted, almost breaking into tears.

" Okay, okay...uhm...oh my god, I need to hurry! " Temari said pushing past Ouija and hurrying for the door. Her heart began to beat faster than it ever had before. She was inches from the door now. If she called the cops, would they hold her brother ransom, then kill him? Or would they just kill him no matter what? What about Gaara? Would they kill him, too?

The thoughts shot through her mind like bullets, bringing pain to her mind and heart. Her hand reached out for the door, only to have it suddenly shoot away from her grasp. A man appeared in the doorway causing Temari to gasp in surprise. The one man she did not want to see at the moment was blocking the only way to her brother


	3. Chapter 3

Next chapter: Alive or dead? What has become of Temari's brothers??

Disclaimer: ...I do not own Naruto. I don't own Harvest Moon(except for the game, I have a copy). And if that weren't enough, I don't even own the Ocs in this story.

" Ah, Temari! Where are you and your little friend headed off to? " Said the low voice of the man Temari was forced to call " Boss ". She grimaced at the food crumbs dotting his face and part of his oddly straight suit.

" Sir, I have to go. My brothers- " Temari began before the man held up a chubby hand that demanded silence.

" No, you are not permitted to leave the building. Now, if you will so kindly, go sit back down and get back to work. " The man commanded. Temari felt a bit of anger erupt in her, but kept it hidden the best she could.

" Sir, you don't understand- "

" Temari, go back to your workstation this instance! " The boss shouted, catching the attention of nearby workers sipping coffee in attempt to keep from falling asleep on their desk.

" But sir- "

" No buts! Now get moving! "

" Stop interrupting me, you big warthog! " Temari hollered without thinking, catching every single employee's attention like a dog to a whistle. The boss's eyes widened in shock at Temari's yell.

" My brother is in a life or death situation! I need to leave in order to see to him! And my other little brother, too! Now goodbye, jackass! " Temari yelled loudly so that everyone could hear here. She stomped off toward the door, her eyes directly ahead of her and proud of her outburst.

" Temari! " The boss shouted after a few minutes pause, " Temari-kun if you do not get back here this instant- "

Temari snapped around, already half out the door, feeling the urge to humiliate the man whom had just addressed her so rudely. " Or what? " She demanded, one hand on her hip defiantly.

The boss froze, contemplating his next words considerably. With a snap of his fingers and the proud grin of a child preparing to pull off a flawless prank, replied, " Or I'll fire you. " He chuckled. A hush swept the room, even the phones silenced once for a change. Every living, or nonliving, thing seemed to wait intently on Temari's next response.

" You can't fire me. " Temari said calmly, her face showing no remorse for yelling before. The boss held back an angry retort, choosing wisely instead to run a finger through his greasy hair.

" And why is that? " He asked, smirking at the blonde.

" Because, " Temari said, mentally enjoying how the surrounding on-lookers seemed to hang on her words, " I quit. "

With a turn of her heel, Temari left the room, leaving behind a crowd of astonished people that strangely included the boss.

The drive home was horrendously long, worries of what she might come home to pounding in her head to create one of the most painful headaches yet. She reached for a Tylenol in her purse perched on the passenger's side of the front seat. Her hand dug around in her purse, but came out with nothing in the end.

Stress overcame Temari as she fought to keep from going over the speed limit, getting to the point that she honked at every car that stopped at a red light.

Finally, after what seemed like a century when it was actually only half an hour with Temari's driving (A/N: from her house to her job is a good hour and a half most of the time. Anyone wanna go for a ride? ), Temari reached her apartment building. She drove up the parkway, slamming on the breaks only after she had smacked the neighboring house's garden gnome across the yard from which it came.

The small tan dog arose from its nap at the sound of Temari's arrival. It watched her curiously with big brown eyes as she sprinted across the yard energetically. Excited by the prospect of having someone to play with, it bounced up and followed her, barking happily.

" Shoo! " Temari said to the dog, gesturing for it to leave. It ignored her and kept pace with her. Annoyed, she decided to ignore the dog aswell.

The two reached the stairs in record time, dashing up them two at a time. The stairs creaked from old age and the pressure of holding up as the girl and dog pounded up them with combined weight.

Temari stepped up onto her floor, speeding off down the open corridor in fear. She skidded to a stop before her apartment, slightly startled as she noticed the welcome mat had been thrown carelessly to the side. With a twist of the doorknob, the door opened slowly, having been unlocked oddly for once.

" H-hello? " Temari called, barely able to hear her own voice over her beating heart. The dog barked beside her, running inside and sniffing about in wonder.

Everything seemed the way Temari had left it, not one magazine out of place, odd since Kankurou normally ruffled them up just to annoy Temari. Alert in everyway possible, Temari crept down the hall, unsurprisingly followed by the small dog.

She pushed open the first door she came to: Kankurou's bedroom. The room was in disarray, clothes and clutter scattered from one side to the next. He wasn't in there, however, but the buzz of the computer told Temari he was just in there no too long ago.

She slipped across the room to the other door: Her room. It was as tidy as usual, the only object out of place was the dirty pillow on the floor that had somehow sneaked into her room overnight.

Temari checked the other doors. Nothing was occupying the bathroom, a slight relief to Temari, nor was anything in Gaara's room, the mix of Kankurou and Temari's room that was never clean yet never messy.

Sighing, Temari leaned against the wall. All was fine from what she could tell. The air vent above her head cooled down her jumpy nerves with its cool breeze. She had been worried over nothing. Obviously the guys were at work, Kankurou at a toy factory and Gaara at the local library killing time while thinking over what career he would like to go into.

She laughed quietly, listening to the echo ringing throughout the light purple hall.

The dog reappeared beside Temari's feet, having just exited from the bathroom. It was holding something in its mouth. Temari glanced down at it, smiling as she slid down the wall next to the dog.

" What have you got there? " She asked, hesitantly scratching the dog's orange head. It let out a muffled bark, dropping the thing it was holding to lick Temari's hand. Peering at what the dog had dropped, Temari realized in shock that it was the ad for the farm, nothing else, just that one page.

" Now why did you bring me this? " Temari asked almost inaudibly as she picked up the paper, examining it thoughtfully. It was indeed the same one she had scoffed at and thrown in the trash that morning.

Suddenly, the tiny dog howled and began to run in circles around Temari's feet. Startled, Temari released the newspaper, shivering as the dog spit hidden on it slid down her leg. Ignoring this, she continuously hushed the yapping dog, failing every time.

Finally, she grabbed at it, missing by only a couple of dog furs. It raced away from her, first going down the hall towards the door before veering back in Temari's direction. The blond girl watched on it astonishment as the dog bolted for the closed door some feet away from her, tackling it with all its might. The door banged open, sending the small dog tumbling in with a yelp.

" Hey! " Temari cried, angrily cursing under her breath for letting the dog in. She leaped up gracefully, taking her time to walk in the room.

The moment she stepped into the doorway, Temari almost screamed in horror. The dog barked, hopping up and down to get her attention.

Beside the loud dog laid Kankurou, his body sprawled out in a pool of crimson red blood. His hat had been removed so that his naturally messy hair popped out everywhere. The ends were dipped in the blood, much like Gaara's but not completely covered.

To the side, crouched down with a towel in his hand, was Gaara, glaring at the intruder with a cactus plant in his other hand. His glare faded when he saw Temari, turning instead into a look of relief.

" Oh my god, Kankurou! " Temari cried racing over to his side, her vision blurred slightly by tears. Kankurou grunted weakly, waving a hand to Temari.

" What happened to you!? Oh, never mind, we have got to get you to a doctor! " Temari leaned down, attempting to lift up Kankurou with the little strength she had.

" Temari! We can't move him! " Gaara said quietly, moving so that he could ease his brother down slowly.

" What!? Gaara, he's bleeding and- " Temari protested.

" I already called 911. They'll be here any moment, but they told me to keep a wet cloth on his wound. " Gaara explained. He held up the towel in his palm, and only then did Temari realize it was bloody. She gasped, turning to her brother to avoid looking at the bloody cloth.

Kankurou coughed, upsetting Temari as more blood dribbled from his mouth. A hole was pierced in his chest, obviously from a gun of some sort. Temari was torn between anger at the culprits and worry for her brother now lying here struggling to breath.

Gaara lightly dabbed the gunshot hole then let the towel drop over the whole opening. Temari watched him curiously, noticing how he didn't seem to have a scratch on him, but just a couple of blood drops on his hands from the towel.

" Gaara...," Temari said quietly, drawing Gaara's attention, " Why,... why is your body unscathed? Weren't you here when this happened? " Temari stared at her brother suspiciously, half expecting him to rear out and attack them for some bizarre reason.

The red head shook his head. " No, I just got here about ten or twenty minutes ago. I heard gunshots from down the street so I hurried down here, then found him lying here like this. I called 911 and told them what was needed. That's when you came in with the dog. " Gaara nodded slightly at the dog whom was standing completely still with its ears perked. Temari glanced back at it, regretting she had let the creature in.

The roar of sirens echoed throughout the house, followed by more sirens that sounded like police cars. The dog stayed still, ignoring the wailing of the alarms. It seemed preoccupied with something more important than the ambulance and police cars.

Notes Author's: Cluck, cluck...oh, wrong ff...anyway, this one didn't turn out as well as I thought it would. .U But all the while, I hope it was interesting somewhat for you. Uhm, about Temari's job, I never really knew myself but let's just say she was working in a publishing company...she's the one who signs the letters the boss writes...I think I'll say the rest later. Sayo! 


	4. Chapter 4

Next Chapter: The Attack!

Notes Author's: 'Ellos. As we all know, I do not own Naruto. And I do not own Harvest Moon. --------------------------------------------

The dog suddenly began to bark, startling Temari enough to make her jump. Gaara remained emotionless and still, glancing casually up at his elder sister while keeping the wet, bloody cloth on Kankurou's bleeding wound. The wounded puppeteer groaned softly, the small dog's high-pitched yaps banging in his head like a drum.

Temari gazed worriedly at the boy lying in pain on the floor, praying the ambulance would hurry to his aid before all hope was lost. The sight made her ache in every part of her body. She never found the dignity to tell them, but she cared deeply for her only brothers, always helping or consoling them, sometimes even secretly. They seemed to know it as well as she did, and did the same for her. She watched Kankurou sorrowfully, his breaths coming out with great difficulty, fighting back the tears forming behind her deep green eyes.

The dog howled on persistently, not in the mourning way many people reckoned dogs would cry, but one that was obnoxiously loud and non-considerate for its listeners. Its howls echoed in Temari's head, bringing a strong sense of annoyance with it.

" Shut up!!- " Temari cried, but was easily drowned out by the dog's voice. It refused to quit, leaving Temari to believe she was hearing things when she thought she heard Kankurou sigh deeply. Then, Temari noticed Gaara shift quickly onto his knees, inclining his head so his left ear faced Kankurou's chest.

" Temari... " Gaara whispered, almost too quiet for Temari to hear. She kept her eyes locked onto him, her heart skipping a beat. She realized she was not hearing things, although she wished she was.

" ... " Gaara mumbled, but alas Temari could not hear. At first, she believed she had become deaf from sorrow, until she realized the howls had greatly intensified in the cluttered room. Temari gritted her teeth, the tears falling from her eyes uncontrollably and unwillingly.

She shot around on her knees to face the dog angrily, the hurt of her brother's death being a fuel for the anger she could not rid herself of.

" SHUT- "

BAM!

Everything was all of a sudden, silent. Nothing moved, nothing squeaked, nothing blinked. The siblings stared intently out the door to the hall, both holding their breath subconsciously as though their slightest gulp would cause an earthquake. The ramming sound had come from the front door, sending something other than cheerful greetings to anyone inside.

Click!

Despite the distance, Temari knew the click of the lock ever too well. Her heart pounded, reminding her to breath even though she was sure she could not anymore. With a quick surge of determination and anger that showed for no more than a few seconds, Gaara moved into a catlike crouching position, slinking silently towards the hallway door.

" Gaara! " Temari whispered hurriedly, " What are you doing!? " She watched as her brother stopped beside the wooden door, glancing back at her with his usual face.

" There's someone in the house... Gaara whispered back, handing her the cloth he used to clean Kankurou 's wound, " I'm going to get rid of them. They were the ones who did this to Kankurou no doubt. " By now, the sirens had ceased; worried cries and yells sounding foreign to Temari calling back and forth outside.

" No Gaara! They'll just kill you, too! " Temari cried as quietly as she could, holding back every maternal instinct screaming for her to give him an ear load right then and there.

" But...if I don't...they'll come kill us both...I'm going to avenge Kankurou. " Gaara swiftly pulled a silver knife from his shoe, the end long and sharp, frightening to say the least. " I've always kept this in case something like this...ever did happen ...barricade the door behind me. "

Temari grabbed Gaara's arm, restraining him from crawling any further in concern for Gaara, yet a feeling inside her roared to go with him and fight. " Gaara, those men are dangerous. We 're going to need more people fighting with us to take down the whole gang. " Gaara merely frowned at her, pulling his arm free of her gentle grasp. The dog trotted up beside them, ears standing straight up in a way that mimicked arrows. It knew somehow what was going on around it, and appeared to want to join Gaara. Just then, it tackled Gaara a couple of feet from where he was, and then ran at Temari.

Crack!

Temari only saw a blur of tan before she heard the cry or the shrill sound of the gun firing. As Temari watching on in horror, the dog flew past her, slamming into Kankurou's chest and bouncing off to lay motionless on the floor. Temari stared down the hall, seeing a tall, skinny man, completely dressed in black with a ski mask cut open around his eyes and mouth, pointing a black gun in her direction. Thinking fast, she threw herself to the side.

Crack!

Temari screamed out as a searing pain exploded in the top part her shoulder, the feel of burning lead being the only thing she could feel. Blood spattered on the floor, the source dripping more from the tiny, painful hole. She fell back onto the floor, withering in pain and unable to answer the calls of her brother.

Crack!

Thumps echoed about on the floor, undoubtedly from Gaara, who seemed to have trouble. " Gaara! " Temari yelled, surprised at the volume in her own voice. She forced her self up, searching for her brother frantically. He had disappeared from the spot he had been, shocking Temari even though she saw only her blood.

" TEMARI GET DOWN! "

Crack!

Something rammed into Temari's side, sending her thudding to the ground on her hurt side. She twitched and bit a portion of her lip to keep the pain inaudible, suddenly feeling something warm dot around on her arm. A grunt sounded from a few feet away, as well as another thud.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the one thing she hardly expected to see; her brother was on the floor, rubbing his shoulder as well while blood oozed from the bullet hole. Temari kept herself completely still, unsure if she should get up to help him or stay down.

" Guh,.. " The groan came from the now dreaded hallway. Temari snapped her attention in its direction. She saw the man in black standing with his back slumped, fiddling with something in his stomach. His gun lay ignored by his feet, the end bent from falling so that it was no longer of any use. The man tugged on the thing in his stomach, pulling it out and holding it up in the little light within the hall.

Gaara's knife. Temari could not believe it, although she was proud she did. He had saved her life, and managed to hit a bull's eye on the thug to save them both.

The thug wobbled, slowly loosing his formerly sturdy balance. The blade, with its acute sharpness, had plunged deep enough into the man's abdomen to create a fatal cut. He landed limply on the hallway carpet, coloring it with his bright red blood.

" Ugh, ...Gaara? " Temari whispered after a weird pause of time, eager to know her last brother was fine.

" ... Yeah, Tem?..." Gaara mumbled, his voice giving no sign he was in pain though he was. Temari sighed, relieved he had survived the hit to his own shoulder.

" ..Gaara..when Kankurou was attacked that time..how many of them..." Temari couldn't talk over the pain in her shoulder, but she made herself do so. Carefully, she shifted so she no longer lay on her arm.

"... Back then... he said about seven or ten did..." Gaara replied, carrying on after a small curse from his sister, " But when the news announced the gang's escape at the library, only three escaped. The other four have already been sentenced to their death already almost a week ago. "

Temari sighed, waiting to see if there was anymore to the story. However, Gaara remained quiet, the only sound being heard was a tiny whimper. Temari heaved herself reluctantly back up in curiosity, noticing her brother watching something on the other side of Kankurou from where he lay propped up on his right arm. She followed his eyes to the little dog, her eyes connecting with the big brown eyes of the dog. It studied her hopefully, bringing sympathy into Temari's already aching heart. The image of the small hero became stuck in her head, how it had saved her life and Gaara's by pushing him and catching the first bullet for her. It looked so strong for something so pitiful then.

Now, it lay, almost completely unable to move, blood leaking from its side, staring at the humans weakly. It whimpered, trying to move its body but without any success. Finally, it lifted itself up on all fours, limping exhaustedly towards the siblings. It kept on, hooking Temari and Gaara's attention so much that they did not hear the footsteps coming from their kitchen.

Temari's heart melted as the dog made its way for her. She was too astonished to move or even blink. It came up to her knee, resting its head on her thigh and whimpering sadly. Temari just gazed at it, before reaching down and petting its head gently.

" Oi! " Came a broad voice from the hall, destroying the moment harshly. Gaara shot up, wincing ever so slightly but staying up. The dog propped its head back up, growling protectively at the man who stood beside his fallen companion, dressed exactly alike yet probably a slight bit taller. He held a jagged knife in his hand, apparently without a gun.

Temari glared at him, the small dog's bravery bringing forth more of the hidden courage from within herself. " What are you goons doing here!? " Temari shouted, picking up the dog in her arms. It didn't object, wagging its tail lightly against Temari's arm.

" Who called the cops? " The man responded, ignoring Temari's shout. The girl glanced worriedly at Gaara, who opened his mouth proudly.

" I- "

" I did it! " Temari cut over Gaara, who stared at her in return. Temari did not know what had come over her, but she couldn't stop the outburst. The man snickered at her, striding menacingly down the bloody hall.

Temari froze up once more, her mind sending many possible ideas over what she should do. Before she knew it or had time to react, the man in the ski mask had darted from the hall and into the room in less than a second. His knife now pointed directly at Temari's unprotected neck.

" Now, pretty face. I must say, I do not enjoy having cops over company. " He said lowly, earning a glare from Gaara. But Gaara stayed still, seeing that his tiniest movement brought the knife closer and closer to Temari's neck. " So here's what you're going to do. Go- "

" No. " Temari declared, the dog growling in agreement right below the knife. The man's face changed in a heartbeat.

" Don't you dare interrupt me! " He yelled, jabbing the knife at Temari's neck. She dodged it just in time, but wasn't quick enough to stop the blow of the handle to her head. She moaned as the blood dripped down her head and mixed with her dirty blond hair. In a flash, the knife was up against her neck again, immobilizing Gaara before he had the chance to strike at him.

" Now listen, you little witch," The man snarled. Temari looked up at him grudgingly. She remembered her mother once told her that you could feel the evil of somebody if it's strong enough to be known. This man was the perfect example, the cruelness radiating off him in a way that once seemed impossible to Temari.

" You will go out there, to the cops, and- " He grabbed her hair unexpectedly, making her yelp out as he tugged hard. He dropped the knife accidentally onto his knee, leaving a small gash in his pants. Gaara sprung up immediately, grabbing the man despite his shoulder injury. The dog joined in, lunging from Temari's arms and sinking its fangs into the man's wrist. The knife clattered on the floor while the dog and Gaara fought with the man.

The dog had a firm grip on the thug's hand, occasionally switching hands to keep the man from harming Gaara anymore or at least to help weaken his blows by placing various bite marks here and there. Gaara, meanwhile, threw punches with his uninjured shoulder at the man's face, dodging the ones the man threw back but sometimes being a bit too slow. The dog took the blows when Gaara couldn't move fast enough.

" Get off me! " The man hollered. He punched the dog straight in the jaw then aimed for Gaara. The dog cried, but held its grip tightly as blood dribbled from his tooth. Gaara easily dodged the punch like many others, only to get hit with other hand in his cheek unexpectedly.

His cheek burned, but he fought on. It wasn't until the man closed his grip around Gaara's neck was Gaara forced to halt his punches to try and release the man's large hand. Gaara glimpsed the small dog lying unconscious on the floor, passed out from too much blood loss. Gaara struggled against the choking grip, the result of his own blood loss starting to effect him as well.

The man cackled at Gaara's attempts to free himself, tightening his hold to where Gaara could not breath anymore. The red-haired boy grunted, switching from his knees to his tailbone, giving him the needed ability to kick out at the man. His right foot connected with the man's mouth, breaking his grungy front tooth in half. A blood trickle dribbled down his lip, causing a drastic change in the man's attitude. He swung Gaara into the wall, the last bit of air escaping from his lungs.

" Gaara! " Temari yelled as her brother went limp. She searched around frantically, looking for anything that could help him. Then she saw it, gleaming devilishly up at her, the knife of the man. Boldly, she snatched up the thug's knife with her hurt arm's hand, the handle cutting into her palm from some odd area.

The man did not realize Temari was coming at him until she was a mere few inches away. He let go of Gaara to escape the knife coming towards his stomach, but couldn't stop it from slashing his arm. He growled and lunged at Temari, who held out the knife blade-first before her. It cut into the man's chest, but not enough to harm him badly.

The man's fist collided with her own cheek, knocking her back. A sickening feeling crowded her stomach as she smashed against Kankurou's chest, hating the fact she was disgracing the dead, nonetheless her own brother.

The man's shrill laugh bounced off the walls, through the house, and finally out into then streets. Paralyzed by the sharp pain in her arm, Temari watched on as the man retrieved the knife from its location on the carpet, staining the floor with more blood. She felt woozy, not from fright but from something not on the tip of her tongue at the moment.

Some ramming sounds came from the other side of the house, almost completely going unheard by the man's crazy maniac laughter. Temari glared at the tall creep, the world becoming strangely darker and darker by the second. Yellow dots clouded her vision, and her ears became clogged to the point everything noise seemed distant. Temari sighed, fearless of what would happen due to the painful fact she was too late anyway, and slowly fainted into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was the breaking of something in the hall and the sick thud of the knife close by┘ ----------------------------------------------

Notes Author's: Phew, finally...Well, next chapter is probably going to be a while. Stupid Sinus is acting up. .U Anyways, is Kankurou, the puppeteer with as much misfortune as his siblings, really dead? ( Please don't kill me as well. I am deeply sorry. T.T). How about Temari and Gaara? Will they be alive and well or maybe kidnapped? \(o.O)/ And the dog? Oh, don't worry about him.3

Sayo! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter: What next?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Harvest Moon, or anything in relation. 

Temari awoke reluctantly and proved it with her speed. Her head and shoulder stung from her previous going with a gun and butcher's knife. She could feel something wrapped around her wounds, pressing not too hard but not too light. Something long and soft was covering her body up to her neck. The soft feeling against her skin was like water in the desert.

Her eyes began to clear, showing her the surroundings resting around her. Almost everything was white; the pillow she relaxed her head on, the blanket spread across her, the ceiling and walls. Beeping emitted from a large machine to her left, measuring her heartbeats and reading to alert the nurses if needed. Temari lazily shifted her head to face it, watching it tiredly. She noticed it measured two heartbeats, and curiously rolled her head to the other side.

Another bed resided on Temari's right, a blood red head popping out from under the snow-white covers. The lump it was connected to lifted then contracted, the only thing that showed Gaara was even alive. Temari smiled; glad to see her brother safely next to her.

A sudden realization hit Temari, and a wave of pain coursed through her heart like ice: Kankurou was not in the room with them. Silent tears clouded her eyes in thought of the boy whose life ended so early. Her pillow quickly become wet with the tears, but Temari couldn't have cared less. Her heart was in too much pain.

She heard the door creak open, but refused to look over there. The memories of her brother lying on the floor with blood..

No!, Temari thought, abruptly chasing away the memories, I'm stronger than this! I'm not going to let myself lay here and be tortured! I should be checking on Gaara! Temari nodded weakly to herself, determined to keep away her painful thoughts. However, after more than half a second, they came roaring back, stronger than before. Her heart rose with strength, and then fell with sorrow. On and on the mental fight went, both sides neither winning nor losing.

Finally, Temari gave up, groaning and burrowing her face into her pillow. She whimpered loudly, even more tears gushing from her eyes.

" What's wrong, Tem? " The visitor said. Temari froze. She pulled her head from out of the pillow, eyes wide in shock.

" W-what? " Temari asked, propping herself up but not facing the man whom spoke.

" What's wrong? " He repeated, " You're crying like a baby! Heh. " The scrunching of plastic from a potato chip back echoed shortly after he finished speaking. Temari stared into the abyss in utter shock, the sound of potato chips crunching bringing her from her trance.

" N-no way..." She said, turning slowly to face the visitor, " K-Kankurou!? " Temari couldn't help the excitement and anxiousness in her voice, nor could she help the grin that sprung onto her face at the sight of her supposedly deceased brother.

Kankurou sat with his foot on the left armrest and his back on the right armrest. He held a bag of, oddly enough, purple potato chips dotted with little blue specks. He tossed one in his mouth, munching on it noisily. His shirt was gone, replaced by a bandage that stretched all the way around his chest. He still wore his black pants, but his shoes were gone with his shirt.

" What? Don't tell me you thought I was dead, Tem! " Kankurou chuckled, sitting up slightly in the chair. He lifted an eyebrow at Temari, who just stared at him flabbergasted.

" ...Who, what, when, were, how !? " Temari stammered, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

" Well if you don't know 'who' then I can't help you.." Kankurou joked, munching on another chip, " Y'know, for something so healthy, these aren't half bad! " Kankurou examined on of the chips closely, almost suspicious why he couldn't find something unhealthy about it.

Temari gaped at him, amazed that it was indeed her spiky haired, former nuisance of a brother. " Kankurou,..how? " She asked, tears of joy starting to dribble down her smiling cheeks.

" I don't know. I think they did something to 'em to make 'em taste good..Quite a mystery, eh? " Was his response. Temari laughed heartily, something she had rarely done since her parents died.

She slid out of the bed, dressed in white pajamas and socks, rushing over to her brother. She caught him in a hug, knocking the chip out of his hand. Tears plopped on his bare shoulders glittering like jewels. He grunted, trying to shift in her powerful grip.

" Hey, Tem...I know we're in the hospital and all...but don't try to hug me to death. They can't do two miracles in a day! " He chuckled. Temari released her grip, drifting back to her bed swiftly. Her eyes stared at Kankurou, who noticed rather slowly and cocked his head questionably.

" A miracle? " Temari asked slightly inaudibly. Curiosity and worry were creating a dangerous mix in her feelings.

" Oh, yeah...Heh, it's nothing, Tem. " Kankurou smiled, but Temari knew he was hiding something. If he was doing it for her, she did not know, but she had to know.

" Kankurou, what happened? " Temari asked sternly. Kankurou ate a few more chips, avoiding her eyes as best he could.

" Tem, don't worry about it! Everything's cool. Hey, y'know the nurse in the hall said we could go once you two woke up..." Kankurou's face remained cheery, hinting he wasn't giving away his secret anytime soon. Temari sighed, getting up once more. She strode around her hospital bed to Gaara's.

The boy looked peaceful in his sleep, and Temari couldn't help but pity him as well. She placed her hand lightly upon his shoulder, shaking it gently. Gaara grumbled quietly in his sleep and scooted his head into the pillow.

" Gaara, " Temari said gently, " Wake up, we're going home..." Gaara peeked out of his left eye at Temari, yawning. He lifted himself out of the bed, shirtless like Kankurou with bandages wrapped around him. He froze when he saw Kankurou with his mouth slightly gaped. His face hid his emotions, but Temari knew he was shocked yet relieved.

Kankurou waved at him with a grin. " Hey, Bro. Surprised to see me? " He laughed. The bag in his hand was placed inside a hidden pocket, and before Temari knew it, he was beside them both, gesturing for the door.

Together, they walked out the room, Temari wiping her eyes free of her tears. Kankurou chuckled and put his arms around both of them, locking them in his grasp. Gaara flinched instinctively, but placed his arm around Kankurou's shoulders, as did Temari. 

" Hey, Tem? " Kankurou said after they had left the hospital.

" Hm? " The blond replied, looking up at her brother.

" The nurse back there was real cute...I wonder if she'll take me on a date if she's not busy with the bar.."

" No way, Kankurou! " Temari snapped. Kankurou laughed loudly.

" Haha, I'm just kidding you, Tem. It's always fun to see your reaction to these kind of things."

They laughed the hospital laughing, Gaara chuckling before going completely mut, again.

" The house is destroyed! " Temari cried, her brothers standing beside her in awe. The moment they had walked into their once-clean living room, they were hit by a tidal wave of shock and disbelief.

The ceiling tiles were handing by a thread. The couch had been flipped and cut so the springs shot out everywhere. All the tables were chopped in half, the same for the doors. Graffiti littered the walls. Places had been burned. The sinks were busted and in dire need of repair.

Hesitantly, Temari tiptoed to her room. All her precious belongings were gone, nothing left but a few blankets and objects that had no value. Temari stared, hoping she was in a dream. Kankurou gasped as he strode into the room past Temari. Gaara showed a couple moments later, closing his eyes with a silent sigh.

"... Everything's ... Gone...just like that..." Temari whispered, glancing over at her wall. Wallpaper was torn in almost every spot possible. It looked as though a starving tiger had just been in there trying to catch its prey. She walked over to a certain part of the wall, staring blankly down at where her dresser had once been. In the spot no longer laid the giant hunk of wood, but a bunch of dust piles. Temari forced the tears from her eyes.

" Mom's ring..." She mumbled. Kankurou and Gaara looked back at her from where they stood, trying to decipher the graffiti on the wall. " They took it...Our mom's engagement ring..."

" ...They stole it...Those thugs stole it.." Kankurou mumbled. Gaara glared at the floor with so much hate that Temari would not be surprised if a hole burned through and hit the bald man under their apartment.

" Sorry, Tem... Don't worry, we'll find that ring! " Kankurou said with a grin. She nodded half-heartedly, then her frown changed to a smile, even though it was fake.

" Ha, I wasn't ever going to use it anyway. It's not that big a deal. We do need our furniture back though..." Temari rubbed her aching neck. Silence befell on them, each sibling staring purposely at something other than each other.

Kankurou finally broke the dreadfully long quiet. " Don't say that, Tem. There's a perfect person for everyone." He pocketed his hands, his eyes still not directly aimed at Temari.

" Yeah,...but I don't classify as 'everyone' . No matter how hard I try, I keep losing instead of winning. I don't even know what the game is!" Temari buried her head in her hands, determined to keep her brothers from seeing her cry again.

"...Temari,.." Gaara whispered. The other two had been so lost in thought and conversation they had not noticed Gaara leave the room. He stood now with his red hair swaying in the cool air. In his hands was a newspaper. Temari looked at him though her fingers,then slowly lowered them.

"...I have an idea. " He said, walking over between them, his eyes glued to the paper. Curious, the brother and sister drifted to his side and peeked over his shoulder. For the third time in one day, Temari saw the farm ad staring up at her.

" Temari...move to the farm.." Gaara said quietly. Temari turned her head so sharply she nearly hit Gaara.

" What? "

" Move to the farm. " Gaara repeated.

" Why? " Temari raised an eyebrow at her little brother. He glanced at her, and then looked away.

" ...if you move there..you will be out of the trouble...perverts won't be after you...Besides, you need a job, right? If you become a farmer, that'll pay more than what you were getting paid..and, if it's great there, that means we would all be safer there. " Explained Gaara, connecting his eyes with Temari at last. She saw something that resembled worry in his eyes.

" ...How do you know about my job? "

" Earlier today, when we were at the hospital, someone came to visit you. It was one of your co-workers. Ouija, I believe. She closed the door a little too hard and it woke me up. She told me you had quit your job just to come and make sure we were safe. " Gaara looked away again.

" ..I-...what about you guys? What will you do? " Temari switched from Gaara's face to Kankurou's and back. Kankurou seemed to support the idea, even though he didn't say it. Deep down, Temari was in full agreement herself, but couldn't bear to think of what would happen if she were not there and something happened again.

" We'll stay here and try to fix this place... if it's possible.." Gaara surveyed the room in one quick glance.

"... Okay,..I guess I'll go...but...I'm still unsure about leaving you guys alone.." Temari directed her eyes to the floor. The wooden planks had become very ugly without the rug that used to lay there.

" Don't worry about us, Temari! We'll be fine. Besides, you're going to have to write to us. Everyday or we'll send more Spam mail than you can shake a stick at. " Kankurou answered. Temari chuckled and shook her head.

" Believe me, it will probably be me doing the Spamming. " She teased, crossing her arms. Smiling, she scanned the newspaper article in Gaara's hands, which he suddenly folded back to make unreadable. His eyes stayed plastered to the floor, but he somehow noticed Temari's confused stare.

" I don't know anymore about this..." He said without looking up.

" Gaara, what do you mean?" Cocking her head, she watched Gaara close his eyes and sigh.

" Well,..it would be great if you were safe, but I just realized...it'll be kinda boring around here..." He mumbled. Temari laughed and hugged him.

" That's sweet, Gaara. Don't worry; I won't be gone that long. Besides, if I do move there, you guys can come visit me during the holidays. And once you finish this year of school, y'all will come move down there with me. " Temari said softly, then released him. Gaara's face still showed doubt.

" Yeah, but how are we going to survive on pizzas the remainder of the year? " He frowned and stared down at the floor.

" Huh? You don't think I can cook?! I'll make the food." Kankurou grunted, pointing at his chest with a grin.

" Point taken. How am I going to survive on pizzas all year? "

" My cooking's not that bad! "

" Kankurou, the neighbor's called the cops because your 'cooking' smelled like somebody had died. "  
" Well, if you're gonna tell that story at least mention how it looked like something died, too. "

Temari smiled at her brothers, chuckling at their continuous food argument. How could she leave these guys? It was going to be hard, but it wouldn't be as hard as living in this dreadful city without a job and thugs running free. Her mission: buy house since she was the oldest and only one not in school, live there and see how it was. Report to brothers. Simple, no? But, what would it be like leaving the only two members of her family who even care about her anymore?

" ...Hm, guess I'll just cross that bridge when I get there. " Temari muttered quietly to herself, then tuned in to her brother's argument once more with the sun shining directly on her face.

Notes Author's: Ah, yes. I have reached the part where she gets ready to leave for her new home. Now, I will not point fingers and I shall not call names, but one particular member got me to write this chapter early cough, cough Shenlong cough, cough Oh, would you lookey that, a coughing fit. Whew┘. I'm just kidding, Shen. I needed to get moving anyway.

Thanks for the reads and reviews, you guys! I may come back and fight with this chapter, and if I do, I will tell you in the next chapter! Stay safe, watch out for flying pigs ( they exist ), and sayo! 


	6. Chapter 6

╛.╛ Next Chapter: Goodbye, my brothers! 

Repeation: I do not own Naruto, Harvest Moon, or any other manga/anime I may utter or type or w/e.  
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Temari, eyes and mind lost in memories so much sweeter than the world's best candy bar, took her last look at her old room, the dump that it had become. She would never forget how it once looked, bright and cheerful, despite all that seemed to happen. Temari's room, her room, the room she fled to when she needed time alone, gone, destroyed, zilch.

Gaara stood beside her, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking the same thing as her. Did he know how much she loved this room, only this room? No, of course not. Nobody could know how much she loved this room, not even the room itself.

Truth was, she knew it would be so painful to leave this house, the family living inside it and the little mishaps that made it unique from the other apartments. Her brothers would move down after this year was up for their school, it was already discussed. But, would it be the same living in a different house from this one? The one she lived in almost all her life?

A ball knotted up in her throat. This was why so many books detailed around moving and everything that came with it, the exact ones she considered worthless. Now she wished she had read at least one, just to prepare herself for this.

"Temari.." Kankurou's voice drifted from behind her. She turned her head so she could see him through the corner of her eye, her relationship with Kankurou strong enough that he could tell her emotions just by a glance to her face. She would miss that, despite how annoying it was.

"Yeah?" She asked, trying to disquise her voice from both her brothers, the ball in her throat giving her a more difficult task of even squeaking. Kankurou held up a box, overlooking his sister's forced tone somehow. Dust brown and once homed by spiders, it was obvious it had seen better days. Kankurou's thick hand brushed over the lid, pausing as though he would reveal its secrets inside. Instead, he moved his hand, holding out the box towards Temari.

"It's mum's." He mumbled, adverting his eyes from her view. Curious, Temari turned around, approaching Kankurou and the old box with Gaara following silently. She took it from his hands carefully, studying the shape and form of it for fun little guesses. She lifted the lid after the first three guesses, seeing the very first guess was correct: A small, priceless ring, the same one her mother wore when she was married to their father.

Temari looked up at Kankurou in pure amazement, completely baffled at how he had managed to keep it for so long, even after the burglars had broken in. He noticed her questioning gaze and shrugged.

"When mum died, father was going to take away the ring and probably destroy it or sometin'. I knew you loved it, so I snuck it back to my room when he wasn't looking. I hid it since then, even when we moved here. I kept it for a long time, and I forgot why, but you should have it now." Kankurou answered, looking away as Temari's eyes watered slightly. She laughed, holding the ring box in her hands delicately in thought. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Kankurou, hugging him tightly. She slipped the old box into her pocket so as not to drop its precious contents.

"Thank you, Kankurou. I'll keep it with me for always." Temari mumbled, releasing her grip and turning to Gaara. She hugged him as well, a single tear trailing down her face and onto his shirt.

"I have to go...the taxi'll be here any moment and...well..." Temari said, directing her eyes to the floor. The one bag she had left, a new rucksack with money in it to start off with, lay near the doorway until she leaned down and picked it up, walking out the door sadly. She hoped it wouldn't be so hard to leave them, but after all the years together they had spent, it was much harder than she imagined.

Her siblings followed her all the way outside, none of them saying a word, not even to each other. After one of the longest walks in history, the trio stood tall out on the grassy yard, both watching and waiting for the taxi. The wind blew gently today, signaling a storm heading there way that night. A few leaves rustled, fluttering up and down before landing lightly on the ground. Cars passed by, a few guys honking at Temari and whislting. Temari snorted, ignoring every wolf whistle that went by.

"Temari, Kankurou..." Gaara's soft voice came from nowhere, but did indeed have a location. Temari turned around at the call of her name, noticing first her brother squatting down beside the apartment building before the little black nose poking out of the hole in the wall. Frozen by confusion, Temari could only gape. Then, by curiosity, Temari bolted forward with her brother right behind for the wall and their brother.

Inside, two little puppies, both tan but one with pointed ears and the other with floppy, shuffling around and studying Gaara and her siblings as they approached. They were lying in a nest of shredded newspapers and torn cotton, leftovers of food scattered here and there. They whined pitifully in hunger, their ribs clearly visible.

Temari gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god...these puppies..." She whispered through her hand, lying on the grass next to Gaara. One of the puppies crept forward toward her, but dashed back into its nest when she reached out for it.

"They're that dog's puppies. Hm." Kankurou answered, sitting on the other side of Gaara. All three siblings gazed in at the little creatures, sympathy prevailing their emotions at that moment. The puppies were orphaned now, no mother to turn to in their time of need, and definitely no father. They were like them now, living a life that was no better than a rat's.

"Temari,...which one do you like?" Gaara asked quietly, holding his hand out. The little puppies hesitated and then, deciding the boy was not a threat, leaped forth and licked his hand repeatedly.

"That little floppy-eared one is really cute. I like it the best." Temari replied, lowering her hand and smiling at the little puppies gathered around Gaara's hand. Her younger brother looked up, nodded, then reached forward and picked up the floppy-eared puppy gently. Temari watched as Gaara placed it in his lap, took out his favorite, red hankercheif he almost always had with him, and tied it around the puppy's neck. It fit perfectly, and not too tightly.

"Here," Gaara held up the puppy towards Temari, who gazed a moment, then took the cheerful puppy from him. "We'll keep the pointy ear one. We both have protection, if not a little, and someone to keep us occupied." Gaara said, picking up the pointy-eared puppy. It barked and licked his chin. Temari nodded, laughing as her puppy nipped at her hand playfully.

"Whatcha gonna name it, Tem?" Kankurou asked, reaching over and petting the dog in Gaara's hands.

"Hmm..He doesn't look like a Scout..." Temari began quietly.

"Doesn't look like a 'he', either." Kankurou added, laughing. "Our puppy is bigger than yours, which normally means male for us in some cases. Yours must be a 'she'."

"Hm, I guess...Tianna...How does that sound?" Temari asked, petting the dog's head gently.

"Tianna, eh? Sounds nice." Kankurou replied. "What's ours named, Bro?"

"...Scout...?" He answered, cocking his head at the dog.

"Scout and Tianna. Sounds good." Kankurou laughed, Temari likewise. He looked towards the road, seeing a yellow car off in the distance and sighing.

A beep and a honk signalled the taxi's arrival, bringing a sense of sadness through all three siblings. Temari stood up with her arms around the puppy tightly. She looked solemly at her brothers, unsure whether to say goodbye again or just head on to make it better.

"Goodbye...again...I'll miss y'all..." Temari said. She has decided to say one last time, just out of courtesy. Kankurou stood up, along with Gaara, his arms outstretched. Despite holding the dog in her arms, Temari managed to wrap her arms around him.

"I love ya, Kanky. Be good." Temari whispered.

"Love ya, too, sis."

The siblings held each other for a moment. Finally they let go, giving Gaara the chance to hug his sister goodbye. Before, Gaara almost never hugged. But know, gripping his sister tightly like he would never let go, it seemed he hugged all his life.

"Bye, Gaara. I love you. Be good and watch Kankurou for me." Temari said, smiling.

"...Bye,...Tem...Love you, too.." Gaara replied. He released his grip, looking a bit shy.

Temari felt like saying something, but she was abruptly interrupted by the blares of an old brown Chevolet mixed with the impatient beeps of the taxi car. The dusty car haulted right behind the taxi, pretty much only an inch apart. A man with a buisness suit, a briefcase, and a clearly visible wig hopped out before the old engine had even turned off.

"Temari..Sabuko?" He called out, looking aorund. Temari stared blankly, questioning her brothers with quick glances. They both were just as blank as she was. The man noticed Temari finally, bounding up and shaking her hand roughly, his mouth chattering introductions that sound like a squirrel sitting on a running power drill.

"Uh, hey, who are you?" Temari asked. Her eyes were large in confusion as the guy sighed, smiled then squirrel-on-suicide-mission chattered his name again. A bit perturbed, Temari snatched her hand back, wrapping it firmly around Tianna. "I'm sorry, but I can't understand a single thing you are saying."

The buisness man paused. "Hey, Taxi Man! Yeah, you! Chub-Tub! Hold the taxi for awhile, I need to talk!" The man called to the taxi driver, finally understandable. From the glare the cab driver sent the man, Temari wished he had spoken in chatter. At least he would have thought before insulting a man that could pummel him into the ground.

"Look, buddy. It's either get in the cab in five minutes, or I'm outta here. I have a job to do. I'm not waiting for your cheap talk you can jus' as easily do on teh phone." The cab man retorted, leaning out his window without tipping the taxi car miracuously.

"Oh, don't worry, the all-you-can-eat buffet will still be open by the time you get there." The business man broke into laughter, nudging Temari who didn't even attempt a smile.

"Oh, you are no fun." The other man pouted, placing his hands on his hips. Temari could only stare at her brothers for help, but even then they were frozen as well. "NOW THEN. Temari Sabuko? We are with the well-known Witness Protection Porgram here in the big city. It has come to my knowledge that you and your brothers have been attacked by a-" The man flipped through his briefcase, pulling a cluster of neatly tied papers from the midst of it.

"Uh, I can answer that for-" Temari started, but the man made a loud noise that blocked her out.

"HERE IT IS!! I knew I put it in here! Silly me! Now, it says...'Open for buisness...Jaytino's new make-out club. Call this number..' Ah-whoops! Wrong paper! But I must call that number, mmhhmm.." The man said, nodding. Temari stepped back, Gaara taking her side while Kankurou slipped beside of the man to peer over his shoulder at the flyer. He mumbled something, snagging the pen from the buisness man and writting with it on his hand.

"What are you doing here, and what do you want?" Gaara growled, his eyes seeming like they could burn holes through the man.

"Oh! I am here on account of Temari Sabuko, whom I hear it moving, right?" The man leaned forward, smiling in a rather unnerving way. Temari nodded hesitantly.

"Well, because of the circumstances that have come up, we have put you under watch for now, just until we oprehend the goons running around. Now, judging by what you have turned in to the mayor's office, you are moving to a farm in...Mineral Town, eh? Ah, nice little town..nice, nice..Anyhow, we won't tell you who it is that will be watching over you, that is the neat little surprise that we have included. So, any questions? Good!"

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?!" Temari protested, the puppy in her arms whining in fear.

"Nope. Now run along. We have wasted enough time here. Who knows where those druggies are!" The buisness man replied. He pushed Temari towards the cab, her feet dragging dramatically. From nowhere, Kankurou grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side and away from the man.

"Temari," He mumbled, Gaara sneaking up nearby. "Be careful, I don't like this guy."

"Who would?" Temari whispered back, gazing in shock at the swaying man.

"Tem, listen. I've heard about this program before. It's supposed to be the best, but lately, it has gone down hill a bit. Be VERY careful."

"I already know that..."

"Yeh, but-"

"COME ON ALREADY! I'MA BOUT TO LEAVE YOU IF YOU DON'T GET TO MOVING!" The cab driver's voice boomed over the yard, scaring all that heard it in the complete 10 mile radius. Temari sighed, stepping up towards the cab slowly. She looked back once, only to get ushered by the buisness man to hurry on. In little or no time, she was in the cab, slamming the door shut as Tianna bounced onto her lap. Temari looked sadly out the window, waving goodbye to her brothers for the last time before the cab started to move and take her away from her worried brothers faces' sights.

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Neko Notes: OMG, this was like righting a book it took so long!! But it should be easier now that I have this part passed thankfully...welp, go nuts lol ...Jaytino's make-out club...lame, I know, but...yeah,...please bear with me. T . T sayo!


	7. Chapter 7

╛.╛ Next Chapter: Mineral Town! A New Life Begins!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Harvest Moon, or the really cool smilie next to "Next"...that's been.._murdered_ by now...

* * *

The long, dreadful taxi ride to Mineral Town took no more than two hours at the least, seeing as the driver was a road demon on ice. However, Temari would tell you it took at least two centuries. Twice she tried to fall asleep just to pass the time and possibly calm her tensed nerves. Twice the driver hit a huge bump, immediately after a few minutes of some shut-eye. The twists and turns in the bumpy road were probably the worst of them all. With each swerve, Temari went with it, even though her seatbelt was strapped on tight enough to strangle a hippo.

It wasn't like she hadn't tried to ask him to slow down. He would not listen to save his life. Either the music tuned her out, which was turned on the moment she opened her mouth according to the test she did in the review mirror, or he just flat out ignored. The issue was dropped not too shortly after the first few miles, the biggest concern being to keep the frightened Tianna from flying out the wide-open windows. Dead skunks along the road made the trip much more scented. In a horrid way of course.

Then a valley of houses appeared before Temari's squinted eyes.

At last they had arrived at the road stopping right in front of Mineral Town, a dead end since no citizen drove cars around or had the need to it seemed. When Temari stumbled out with her tiny luggage and puppy in tow, the taxi was off once again at the speed of light, never to be seen until next time.

* * *

"What a dump!!" Temari cried. She stood astonished and angered on the demolished lawn a few feet from the house and mailbox, which were nicely still in tack. From where Temari was dropped off, she couldn't see the farm, only the silent townhouses and beach. But from where she stood now, she wished she could have called that dangerous cab driver back and return home.

The house, a small, pinkish wooden home with two or three windows tops lay on the far side of the left so that it fit perfectly into the picket fence corner surrounding the farm. A tiny, white chicken coop rested some ways down from it, placed against the fence as well. To the far left of the farm house, a barn and stable stood almost side-by-side like chess warriors awaiting their turn in the brutal match.

Then there was the farming area. A hurricane might've come through from the looks of it. Rocks, sticks, weeds, anything and everything had been scattered over the fine dirt. It seemed impossible to even imagine walking through the nightmare.

The more Temari gazed, the more bewildered she felt. This wasn't anything near a picture perfect scene such as the bluff displayed in fine print for the world to see.

"Uhm, excuse me, Ma'am?" a raspy voice inquired close by. Tianna let out a loud, sharp bark, flopping maddly in Temari's arms.

Temari glanced over her shoulder, shivers shooting down her back when she saw no one. Then a hand appeared in a wave for attention. It belonged to a remarkedly short, chubby man in a red tux and long top hat. His charcoal beard and mustache mirrored a sooty Santa Claus.

"..Yes?" Temari answered slowly, blinking in bafflement at the little man. By now Tianna had finally calmed, more or less out of curiosity or shared astonishment.

"Are you the young ladie who contacted us about buying this farm?" His mustache seemed to speak. The girl nodded hesitantly. Suddenly, the chubby man burst into a fit of laughter, frighteningly coming close to a "Ho ho ho".

"You actually BOUGHT this farm?!" The man managed through his furry face. "What a foolish girl!"

"...Is this some kind of joke?!" Temari growled with a flame dancing momentarily in her eye.

"No, no, my dear! This was not intentional by the least! You see, the previous farmer died of old age and, since he had no children for this farm to go to..." explained the mustache, before more laughter cut the man off. "Ah, I'll be honest with you, young one. Me and the town's police man slash mailman made a bet at how chaotic we could make this place, then send out an offer with the oldest picture we could find! We both took turns messing this place up, and watched as the cutsomers came in. It was like bullets, you see! One fool after another! And now you! Thank you, my dear; I have 20 extra dollars to my name now!"

Temari's heart plummeted with her mouth as the man's laughter ringed in her ears. A fire suddenly broke out from within, and before she knew it, she was lashing out with her foot. He squealed in fear, ceasing his irritating Santa-laughter and stumbling backwards.

"Damn, you're lucky you're short..." Temari mumbled, stomping the ground with a sinister glare.

Leaves rustled up above the two, twigs reaching down and waving back and forth. "You'd actually do such a thing to our dear mayor? He has to have children, y'know." The twigs chuckled in amusement.

"..." Temari simply stared, unsure what to think anymore. Midget Santa Clauses antagonizing citizens was one thing, but talking twigs simply crossed a line.

"Oh, Shikarmau! My word, lad, what are you doing up there?" The mayor called while straightening his jacket all the while counting the distance between himself and Temari.

The twigs fell to the ground without a sound. "I was just twig hunting." was the reply that followed.

"Well, come on down and meet our lovely.. visitor..." The mayor mumbled, increasing the distance by a few steps.

"Visitor?" Temari finally spoke, turning back to the stubby man.

"...You're not planning on buying this place, are you?" He squeaked, his eyes like those of a child when an innocent prank goes badly wrong.

"Well, I have no other choice..." mumbled the blonde girl reluctantly.

The branch shook frantically, a blur of pail tan and blue flying to the ground moments later. The puppy in Temari's arms jolted awake, screeching into a fit of yelps. A young boy shot up from the ground, almost knocking the hat off his jet black hair, his brown eyes connecting directly with Temari's emeralds. Both being the same height, it wasn't much of a surprise, but there was something about his eyes that varied so much from any other she had seen.

"You're seriously buying this place?!" The young boy questioned, breaking the ice rather loudly.

"Well, again, I have no choice. If I go back to the city, I'll get attacked by a gang, have to find another job since I quit my last one, deal with perverts night and day, check the drinks whenever I go out so that there's no drugs or anything in them, and much more than that." Temari answered with a shrug.

Shikamaru was silent, gazing at the girl with his mouth slightly ajar. Another second later, his mouth spread to a smile and he held out his hand. "Hi. My name's Shikamaru, but some of the villagers call me Grey. I live right down the sidewalk there."

"Hey." Temari replied, shaking Shikamaru's hand. "My name's-"

"Temari, right?" Shikamaru cut her off.

Temari blinked. "Yeah, ..how did you.."

"I saw you on t.v. You and your brothers made the headlines on DNN." The boy answered, pocketing his hands.

"Oh, great. Now the whole world knows.." Temari groaned, burying her head in her right hand.

"Well, they just mentioned your name and the city, then went on to another gang violence headline." Shikamaru mumbled, scratching his neck shyly.

"Anyhoo!" The mayor suddenly squeaked, startling any who were foolish enough to be close to him. "Temari, why don't you go in and make yourself at home! Take a look around town, meet some people, then drop by my office and we'll discuss tise situation further. Okay? Good. I'll be seeing you around then!"

The mayor chuckled then whispered quietly to Shikamaru, "Me and the officer are playing poker today with some extra money we found lying around." Shikamaru nodded encouragingly, watching in mixed amusement and worry as the mayor disappeared down the road.

Temari sighed, glad the man was gone, even if it was for only a little while. She picked up her bag, dragging them slowly towards the cabin-like house. It wasn't at all roomy it appeared, but it would do for now.

"Hey, Temari." Temari heard Shikamaru call from behind her. "Put your stuff up and I'll show you 'round. It's my day off so I have nothing else to do."

"Oh,..thanks." Temari replied, smiling slightly before continuing on into the house. The interior room wasn't as bad as outside. At least it was clean. Maybe a little dusty, but clean.

Tossing her trunk on the old bed in the corner of the room, Temari studied the inhabitants of the side table. Just a little spider in the first drawer and a dust bunny in the second. The wood used to create the table was sturdy, quite stable for such a small thing.

Temari sighed and turned towards the door. Maybe everything would go smoothly and peacefully here...

"Waah!" Thud!

Temari ran to the nearest window and peered out immediately after the cry echoed out. Shikamaru pulled himself off the ground, rubbing his back and glaring up at the swaying tree branches. Tianna ran up a second later, cautiously sniffing at the boy with her tail tucked underneath her.

Or maybe everything wouldn't turn out as smoothly as she or "Grey" hoped.

* * *

A/N: ...yay...


End file.
